Why Does Your Voice Change Overtime?

Have you suffered from a strained voice? No doubt, this is very common among singers and speakers who use their voices to a great extent. Many people suffer from chronic laryngitis, which can also strain their voice, but we often target the throat, I think many factors contribute to this. From the TCM, a few meridians are actively involved in this case, especially the spleen, stomach, large intestine, and lung meridians. From Western medicine, digestive issues can affect the quality of your voice because your mouth is the entrance to your gut, and the inflammation in your upper GI tract can impact your voice. As we age, the larynx increases its mineral content, making it stiffer and more like bone than cartilage. This makes the vocal cords less flexible. The muscles that allow the vocal cords to move also begin wasting as we age. In women, the hormonal changes associated with menopause alter the vocal folds in several ways. They become stiffer and slightly thickened/swollen. The number of glands producing the mucus that lubricates them reduces, causing dryness, while the quality of the mucus changes and becomes thicker and more difficult to clear. These vocal fold changes can significantly lower the pitch of the voice and make vocal quality rougher.

Here are some self-healing tips that you can apply to get your throat and voice back on track fast.

1. REST Your Voice

Rest your voice; this is the first and also the most important tip to heal a strained voice, lots of patience, and hydration throughout the day to prevent a dry throat. Reduce unnecessary speech and rest your voice as much as you can. It may take a couple of weeks before you feel better when you talk. Sip on honey and gargle your mouth frequently with sea salt water, these remedies can help soothe your vocal cords and relieve the discomfort in your throat.

2. Control Acid Reflux

Chronic acid reflux can damage the esophagus and vocal cords especially when you lie in bed at night when the bad acid is not under control. People who suffer from acid reflux usually take anti-acid drugs to cover the symptoms, but that will not solve the issue. The cause of acid reflux has to be addressed and resolved. Acid reflux is usually caused by weak stomach acids and a lack of strength of the lower esophageal sphincter that is not able to prevent the reflux of the stomach content. If you have GERD, it is recommended to eat super early, at least 3 hours before you go to bed, a light supper with small portions can help manage your GERD symptoms more effectively at night, so you don’t have to suffer from heartburns that can irritate your throat and cause laryngitis as well. A healthy lifestyle is all we need to establish when it comes to our health maintenance.

For more tips to heal your voice, please check my recent video.

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